Family Ties
by EdgeOfGlory
Summary: Severus goes to the Potter's house the night of Voldemort's attack to find Harry and Voldemort dead, and Lily alive.  Is the Dark Lord really dead?  Can Severus heal Lily's broken heart?   Crappy summary.  Give it a read.
1. Chapter 1 A Gruesome Discovery

**A/N: I can't believe I'm going to start another project, but I am in the mood to write. This fic was burning in my mind ever since the scene of Snape's memories in DH2. I don't yet know how long it will be or anything, but there's no way to move on without a beginning. This is totally OOC, AU, etc.**

**Review, please :)**

**Family Ties**

**Chapter 1: A Gruesome Discovery**

_31 October 1981_

Severus Snape pushed the front door of the house belonging to Lily and James Potter open with great difficulty. Voldemort had told him that the attack had gone swimmingly, but what did that mean? He glanced around the lower level of the home, seeing that everything was in shambles. Fear incased him as it had never done so before. His entire body felt like ice, and he found it difficult to move as he pulled out his wand and headed towards the stairs.

Immediately, Severus saw a body toward the top of the stairs. To his relief, it was not Lily's, but James Potter's body. He let out a shaky breath as sadness filled him. This man had once been his personal torturer; the swine that made his safe haven of Hogwarts another form of Hell. And yet, he looked so helpless and fragile as he lay on the stairs, his wand still in his hand. He had tried so hard to protect his family.

There were books, parchment, and clothing strewn across the hallway floor, and Severus barely noticed the flash of lightning and loud rumble of thunder as he walked, glancing into every room as he went.

The door to the room was closed. The handle seemed to burn his hand as he turned it and pushed the door open. He felt nauseous. Taking a step into the room, he saw a small figure laying facedown in the crib. The baby. _Her_ baby. His heart shattered because he knew how Lily must have tried to protect the child.

To his amazement, he saw Voldemort's body laying on the floor, his wand inches from his fingers. There was no possible way, was there? Voldemort could not really be dead.

Severus was pulled from his thoughts by a loud whimper from the corner of the room. He glanced over to see what he feared he would never see again. Lily. _His_ Lily. She looked pitiful, covered in blood and tears as she clawed at the wall, attempting to get away from whatever dark force was now invading her home...him.

"Lily," he breathed out, taking a few, slow steps towards her. "Lily," he repeated, much louder this time.

The redheaded woman looked deranged. "Don't touch me!" she cried, turning into the wall. "Please God, don't hurt my baby."

Severus froze, glancing back at the crib. Tears formed, stinging the corners of his eyes, as he watched her cower and push herself as far from him as possible. "Lily," he attempted again. "It's Severus..." His voice was weak and shaky.

Lily gasped and looked at him, disbelief in her eyes. "S-severus?" she asked, shaking. "D-did you...did you do this?" she asked.

He knew what she was referring to. He shook his head. "No. Merlin, no. I would never..."

"You're one of them, Severus. You helped them do this. You destroyed my family," she cried.

Severus allowed the tears to run down his face as he shook his head with fervor. "No! I swear to you, Lily, I had nothing to do with this." He reached a desperate hand out to her, praying she would take it.

Lily stared at him, unsure of what to do. After a few moments, she practically launched herself into his arms, sobs shaking her small frame. Taken aback, Severus had to put a hand behind him to keep them from falling back. Once steady, he put both of his arms tightly around the woman, rocking her slowly.

"What of Harry?" she asked, quietly after a moment.

Severus did not speak, terrified of hurting her more.

"I know James is dead. What about Harry? I don't hear his cries..."

Severus looked at her, pain in his eyes. "I'm sorry..." he whispered.

Lily shook her head. "No...not him too. Severus, he's taken everyone from me..." she cried.

"You still have me." His words were incredibly quiet.

"Don't ever leave me alone, Severus," she begged.

He knew the words were spoken out of need and terror, but they meant so very much to him, even in such a horrid time. He shook his head. "Always. I'll be with you always. I promise."

The pair sat in silence; the only noise were Lily's sobs as she hung desperately onto Severus's robes. How long had he dreamt of her in his arms? It seemed like an eternity, and yet, he never wanted it to happen this way. She was hurting and broken. He had to find a way to fix her...no matter how long it took.

After some time, Severus heard aurors starting to arrive. He wiped away the evidence of tears on his face and lifted the woman gently into his arms, bridal style. He held her close, hoping she would not be able to see the baby lying still in his crib.

Severus made his way down the stairs with the woman in his arms, meeting several aurors on the porch.

"It's Snape!"

"He's in on this!"

"Who's he holding?"

The voices pierced his head violently.

"Put her down, Snape!" Mad-Eye Moody. He'd recognize the man anywhere.

Dumbledore moved forward and spoke. "Severus just arrived a few moments ago. His apparation spell is still fresh." The man looked at him. "Take her to Hogwarts. You may both stay as long as you wish."

Severus nodded gratefully. "V-voldemort. His body...it's upstairs."

Dumbledore's eyes went wide. "Did you...?"

Severus shook his head. "No. It was like that when I got here."

Dumbledore nodded, clearly confused. "Very well. On with you."

Severus apparated to the outskirts of Hogwarts. He carried Lily to the castle as quickly as possible. Minvera McGonagall met him at the door. "Severus?" she asked, having not seen him since his school days. "What in Merlin's name? I-Is that Evans?"

"It's Potter..." Snape spat. "I need a place for us to stay. Dumbledore sent me here."

"She needs to go to the Hospital Wing." He felt Lily's grip tighten on his robes.

"She's not injured. I can care for her," Snape growled, possessively.

Minerva nodded. "Very well. There is an empty teacher's chambers...down in the dungeons."

Snape grimaced. "Wonderful. Password?"

Minerva eyed him cautiously. "What makes you think I should just-"

"Password?" he repeated, annoyed.

"Lemon Drop."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Right," he said, turning on his heel and heading down to the dungeons. He was thankful that it was early morning and there were no students roaming the halls. "I'm going to take care of you, Lily," he promised as they descended another set of stairs.

**A/N: Well, there is the first chapter. Let me know...should I continue it?**


	2. Chapter 2 Not Alone

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. I work and am prepping for school to begin next week so I'm a bit busy. I'm hoping to get one or two chapters done for you by next Monday because I then start a two week, accelerated class that is probably going to kick my ass. I'm pleasantly surprised at the number of reviews, favorites, and alerts. Thank you so much! It is VERY much appreciated. Please keep reviewing. Likes, dislikes, etc. **

**One last thing, greeneyedjoy pointed this out to me. I wrote in the first chapter that Voldemort had told Snape of the attack on the Potters. Oops. I messed up cause Voldy is dead in Harry's room (more on that coming soon). Anyway, I will fix that after the story is done, and I do a final edit.**

**Enough blabbering, on with it...**

**Chapter 2: Not Alone**

Severus was at a loss as he made his way into the room provided for he and Lily. It was furnished but bare, not homey at all. He would work on changing that once he took care of the woman in his arms.

"Lily," Severus spoke as he pushed the door closed still looking around. "Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice gentle.

The woman still shook slightly but shrugged. "A few cuts...I'm fine, really. I'm lucky...compared to them." Her eyes shone with tears, but it did not seem as though she could spare anymore.

Severus nodded and sat her on the small couch in the living room, crouching before her.

Both parties jumped slightly at the sudden presence of a house elf. "'Ello, Mr. Snape, Mrs. Potter, I'm Flopsy," the elf greeted. Severus shuddered. The damned creature sounded far, far too happy. "Professor McGonagall sent me down 'ere to see if ye' be needin' any 'elp."

Severus stood abruptly and conjured a quill and parchment. He scribbled a long list onto the paper. Once he was satisfied with what he had written, Severus handed the paper to the elf. "I need you to go to Spinner's End and retrieve all of the things on this list as quickly as you can manage."

Excitement took over the elf's features. "Right away, sir," she said, disappearing quickly.

Severus crossed back to Lily who was staring into space from her spot on the couch. "Lily," he spoke gently.

The woman looked up at him. The look on her face broke his heart.

"Why don't you get a nice, warm shower, and I'll get you a dreamless sleep potion as soon as that elf returns?" Severus suggested.

Lily nodded slowly but did not move. After a moment, Severus grasped her arm gently and pulled her up. He led her slowly to the bathroom where he conjured a large, fluffy towel for her to use and hung it on the wall hook. "You got it from here?" he asked.

The woman said nothing, staring at the stone floor. Severus sighed, concerned, and turned on the shower, making sure it was warm but not hot. "Come on, Lily. You'll feel much better after you're clean."

Lily looked up at him, disbelief in her eyes. She nodded and pulled her sweater off, dropping it on the floor. She began unbuttoning her pants, and Severus turned to leave. "No!" she said, moving forward and grabbing his robes. "I don't want to be alone."

"I'll wait just outside," he promised.

"Severus..." she pleaded.

"Lily, it would be innapro-"

"I don't care," the distraught woman said. "I'm not asking you to watch me shower...just...just stay with me."

Severus nodded slowly. He moved to the sink and glanced in the mirror before pulling the medicine cabinet open. From the corner of his eye, he could see Lily pulling her clothes off, but he looked ahead. Now was not the time to be a Peeping Tom.

The cabinet was mostly empty, but Severus used his wand to get rid of what was in there. He cleaned the shelves and mirror with magic, noting that Lily had stepped into the shower.

"Is there anything to wash with, Sev?" she asked.

Sev. She hadn't called him that since they were in school. "Umm...I'll conjure something, Lil, hold on." He managed a small bottle of shampoo and some soap. Not looking into the shower, he stuck his hand in and felt her take the items from him.

"Thanks." Her voice was hollow, but at least, she was not just standing in the water.

Severus pulled his outer cloak off and rolled up the sleeves on his black shirt. He washed his hands and face with a small bar of soap he had conjured and dried them off on a spare towel.

Lily did not take long in the shower. Severus turned towards the bathroom door when he heard her turn the water off and step out of the shower. "I haven't any clothes," she said, quietly.

Severus bit his lip. "Well, I can conjure something or you could just wear something of mine for now."

Lily actually managed a small smile. "The latter. It will be nice to be enveloped in a familiar scent...might make sleeping easier."

Severus felt his heart pound against his chest. Lily found his scent comforting. He grimaced and pushed the thought away. "Of course. The elf is supposed to be bringing-" he faltered, seeing her wrapped only in a towel, her wet, red hair on her shoulders. "-some of my things..."

Lily nodded and made her way towards the door. She hissed at how cold the floor was on her bare feet, and Severus picked her up, carrying her to the bedroom and sitting her on the edge of the bed.

Severus heard a small pop of apparation. "'Ello?" the high pitched voice called out.

"We're in the bedroom," Severus replied.

The small elf appeared, her arms full of bags that were overflowing.

"Thank you," Severus said. "Put them right on the floor. I'll take care of everything."

"Of course, sir," the elf said. "Anything else?"

Severus looked at Lily. "You hungry?"

The woman shook her head.

"Some tea, please."

"Back in a moment, sir." The elf disappeared.

Severus looked through the bags and pulled out a bunch of clothes. "Choose whatever you'd like to sleep in."

Lily pulled through the clothes and picked out a pair of boxers and a t-shirt. Snape smiled weakly and took the rest of the clothes and packed them away in the drawers and closet so she could change in peace.

The small elf returned quickly with the tea. Severus thanks her and sent her away before pouring two cups of the steaming liquid.

"I'm really not thirsty."

Severus sighed. "Lily, you need to drink something..."

Lily shook her head. "I'm fine."

Severus nodded and placed the cup next to her. "In case you change your mind," he explained.

Severus watched Lily stare at the mattress on the bed that was not covered. He searched through all of the bags, smiling when he found a set of green sheets and a comforter that had all been shrunken down. He easily restored them to normal size and, with a flick of his wand, the bed was making itself.

As the bed was being made, Severus moved to a bag full of potions and ingredients. Luckily, he had all of his supplies bottled and labeled. After a few moments, he found the dreamless sleep potion and carried it over to Lily.

"Doesn't taste too good," he warned her.

Lily smiled weakly and nodded, downing it quickly. She climbed into the bed and pulled the covers up up to her chin. She glanced up at Severus.

"G-good night," he said. "I'll-uh...be on the couch if you need anything." He turned and grabbed a blanket.

Lily sat up. "Wait! S-severus...I don't wanna be alone," she said, biting her lip.

Severus nodded slowly. He felt wrong about sleeping in the same bed as Lily, but he knew he had no reason to. "Are you sure?"

"Please," Lily said, nodding. "I just...I don't want to be alone."

Severus nodded and dug through some bags for some actual pajamas since he normally slept in his boxers. After pulling them on awkwardly, Severus climbed into bed next to Lily. He turned out all of the lights with a flick of his wand before pulling the covers up. He turned and faced the edge of the bed, laying as close to it as he could so he didn't make Lily uncomfortable. Slowly, he heard her breathing even out, though it took almost an hour before Severus could slow his thoughts enough that he, too, could fall into a restless sleep.

**A/N: There it is. Please review.**


	3. Chapter 3 Confessions

**A/N: Sorry for the delay...I just finished my two week biology course. I start my new job tomorrow, going transfer college searching all week, and school starts the following week. So, hopefully, I'll get you a few more chapters before the semester begins.**

**Chapter 3: Confessions**

_Severus watched Lily walk towards him, an excited smile on her face. "Sev! You'll never guess what's happened!"_

"_What's that?" he replied, smiling as well._

"_They made me a Prefect!" she squealed, holding up her Hogwarts letter. "A prefect, Severus!"_

_Severus hugged her close. "Congratulations, Lily!"_

_The girl kissed his cheek, not noticing his blush as she pulled away. "Have you gotten your letter yet?"_

_Severus shook his head. "Dad hasn't gotten the mail yet."_

_Lily nodded, knowing how controlling Tobias Snape was. "Well, you'll probably make Slytherin Prefect."_

_Severus smiled. "I'm not worried about it."_

_Lily smiled and nodded, taking his hand._

_The pair didn't speak as they walked down a path behind Severus's house. It brought them to the meadow with a large pond in the center of it. They came to this spot often, especially if one of them were feeling down._

_Lily wiped the sweat from her brow. "Let's go for a swim," she suggested. "It's dreadfully hot."_

_Severus balked, not wanting to embarrass himself. "Don't have any trunks, Lil, sorry."_

_The girl rolled her eyes. "Just go in your skivvies," she said. _

_Severus's eyes went wide. "I couldn't do that."_

"_Sev...we're friends. Why are you so bashful?" _

"_I just..." he couldn't think of anything. It was awfully hot out._

"_Come on," she said, smiling, as she pulled her t-shirt over her head._

_Severus's eyes practically bulged out of his head as the girl stood before him in a green bra. It was nothing fancy, but...it was, by far, the most of Lily he'd ever seen. She was absolutely stunning. Her skin was pale, but not sickly. She was curvy, not stick-like, but it made her simply gorgeous. Her breasts. He faltered at the thought. The way they swelled slightly above her bra. Stop. He couldn't think of such things. It would never end well._

"_Come on, Sev." He was pulled out of his thoughts by the girl. "Live a little," she said, unbuttoning her shorts._

_Severus sighed and nodded. He unbuttoned his oversized black shirt, letting it fall the the ground._

_Lily smiled as pushed her shorts off, leaving her in matching green underwear. "You're staring, Severus."_

_Severus looked away quickly. "I, uh...s-sorry."_

_Lily chuckled. "Don't worry. Come on. Let's swim!"_

_Severus sighed heavily before pulling his black pants off, revealing green boxer shorts. _

"_Green, Sev?" she asked, biting her lip. "How very Slytherin of you..." she teased._

_Severus smirked. "What's your excuse?" he asked. "You're in green as well."_

"_Goes with my eyes..."_

_Severus rolled his eyes and grabbed her hand, pulling her forward and into the pond with him._

_Lily came up from beneath the water, giggling. "Geez...Thanks for the warning."_

"_Anytime..."_

"_Very funny," she replied, hitting his chest playfully as they tread the water. _

_Severus took her hand and pulled her close. He smiled. "I thought you couldn't swim."_

"_I learned..." she said._

"_Liar. You've known all along. I used to suggest swimming all the time, and you always used not being able to swim as an excuse," Severus accused._

_Lily bit her lip. "I was...well, self conscious...about my body."_

"_Why in Merlin's name would you be?" he asked. "You're perfect." Shit. He hadn't meant to see that._

_Lily smiled and shook her head. "I'm nowhere near perfect, Severus...you're sweet though."_

_Severus shook his head. Might as well. "You're perfect to me, Lily," he said. Gathering his courage, he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Shockingly, she did not pull away, but instead, responded to his kiss. _

_When they finally broke away, the girl screamed loudly. _

"_What? What's wrong?" he asked. _

"_Stop!" she screamed. "Not Harry!"_

_Severus shook his head. What was she talking about?_

"Not Harry! James...!"

Severus awoke with a start to find Lily thrashing on the bed, her eyes shut tight, tears leaking from them. "Lily!" he called, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Stop! Don't hurt them!"

"Lily! Please, wake up!"

Gasping, Lily's eyes shot open, her chest heaving. She launched herself into Severus's arms, as she shook and sobbed openly.

"Shh...It was just a dream. It's okay."

Lily shook her head, vigorously. "No! It wasn't...I saw it all again. Voldemort...he was there."

"Shh...I'm here. I'm not going to let anyone or anything harm you."

Lily sobbed in the young man's arms, tears soaking his nightshirt. He whispered calming thoughts to her until she, slowly, fell asleep in his arms. He kissed her forehead gently before laying her carefully back onto the bed.

As he lay back down, Lily shifted, snuggling into his side, her hands clutching at his shirt. "I love you." he confessed though she could not hear him.

* * *

><p>Severus left Lily as she napped the next afternoon to go speak with Headmaster Dumbledore. He knew the man expected something in return for their stay in the castle...and for protecting them.<p>

"Ah, Severus...come in."

The man entered and sat when Dumbledore gestured for him to do so.

"How is Mrs. Potter?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

"Sleeping..." he said.

"I see," the older man responded, not receiving the answers he was looking for. "Well, I have a few matter we need to discuss. We shall start with the lighter news."

"As you wish..." That meant there was bad news as well.

"Well...Professor Slughorn...I'm sure you remember him." Severus nodded. "He wishes to retire next year. It is our hope that you will consider taking his role."

"I-I could not...I'm not a Potion's Master."

"Yet," Dumbledore corrected him. "We want you to become a certified master over this next year."

"I can't afford that, Professor...Becoming certified is quite expensive."

Albus smiled. "That will be taken care of by the school...with the expectation that you will stay on and teach for, at least, five years."

Severus wasn't sure. He didn't really enjoy children.

"Think it over. Your room and board is free."

Severus nodded. "The grave news?" he asked.

"Regarding Tom Riddle..."

"Who, sir?" Severus asked, confused.

"Voldemort, my boy." Albus replied. "Tom Riddle is his given name."

"I see...what about him?"

"He is dead...for now..."

"What do you mean?"

"After speaking to some of his closest allies, it was revealed to me that Tom...used dark magic to ensure that he could not be...mortally wounded."

"How so?"

"Through the use of Horcruxes..."

"Sir?" Severus asked. He had never heard of such a thing.

"I'll give you a book to read on them at dinner this evening. Until then, I suggest you get back to Mrs. Potter..."

"But sir..."

"Please, Severus...think about my offer."

Severus nodded, knowing he was dismissed. He stood and left the office, heading slowly back to his rooms.

**A/N: There you go...the plot thickens...kind of. Please review. Once again, sorry for the delay.**


	4. AN: Hiatus

**A/N: I'm Sooooooo sorry to do this...but I'm officially putting this story on Hiatus. I'm not inspired and too busy to deal with it right now. I'm hoping to get some ideas and motivation but for now, its on hold.**

**I will, however, continue with Twisted. After that, I plan to do a Hermione/Severus story again since I'm dying to write them again. **

**As horrible as this is, I am planning an HG/SS marriage law fic. I want to put in my own twist. They're not done much anymore, and I have ideas. :) Let me know if this is an ABSOLUTELY horrible idea...**

**Sorry to my readers. Please stick with me on Twisted. **

**~EdgeOfGlory.**


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